ALDS Game 1: Texas Rangers Are in Trouble After Losing to Rays 9-0

It's only Game 1 of the ALDS and already the Texas Rangers find themselves in a whole heap of trouble. A brilliant performance by Rays' top prospect Matt Moore leaves a pretty daunting task for the Rangers to accomplish if they want to advance to the ALCS.

This should have been the game that the Rangers had the huge advantage.  They were sending their ace to the mound, C.J. Wilson, going up against a rookie pitcher who only had one career start in the MLB. There aren't many holes in the Rays' starting rotation and Moore was the closest thing resembling a weakness for the Rays pitching in this series.

But that was not the case, the Rays beat up on C.J. Wilson pretty good, scoring eight runs, six earned, on seven hits. Wilson didn't look like the same pitcher that had some success in the 2010 playoffs. It certainly wasn't what the Rangers would have expected.

After a Kelly Shoppach sighting and a Game 1 defeat at the hands of Matt Moore and the Rays, the Rangers are in an extremely difficult situation.  They now have to face James Shields, Jeremy Hellickson and David Price the next three games.  Those three are easily the best trio of pitchers in the American League.

The Rangers have Derek Holland, Colby Lewis and Matt Harrison if it gets to a Game 4.  None of those three starters can match up with what the Rays have and that is a distinct advantage.

The Rangers must look to their offense to provide some run support for their starters because most likely, they won't be able to out-pitch the Rays. There is no way the Rangers can hope to win this series if their offense doesn't wake up from it's nonexistent start to the ALDS.

Anyway you slice it, the Rangers are in serious trouble after Game 1 of the ALDS. Joe Maddon's managerial moves have given the Rays a huge edge in this series and the Rangers will have a lot to overcome in order to win the ALDS.